Evans



' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet -1.

W. W. EVANS. TBLEGRAP'HIG TRANSMITTER.

No. 372,846. Patented Nov. '8, 1887. 1 22 .1.

MECHHIVICHL 75n/vsMI7TER- l lll iflfl l l l l IIIMIHIIIIIIIII W Vdrriflegfow Evan/s @515 M0 emu/WW a N. PETEna Pholn-Lilhognpher. nnnnnn nnnnn c .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W. WARRINGTON EVANS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

TELEGRAPHIC TRANSMITTER;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,846, dated Noyember 8, 1887} Application filed June 28, 1886. Serial No. 206,429. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

' Be it known that I, W. WARRINGTON EVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Transmitter-Boards, of which the following is a description.

The present invention relates to an improved form of electrical transmitter,which, although entirely novel in form and method of operation, is used as part of any of the wellknown systems in which a constantly-moving mechanica-lly-operated transmitter is used to accomplish the actual work of transmission and reception of message-signals, the mechanical transmitter being thrown into electrical action, and thereby caused to produce the desired effect at the receiving-station, by the closing of one or other of a number .of local circuits extending from the key-board to the mechanism above referred to; and it consists in so constructing and arranging the keyboard, which I have called an electricaltransmitter-board, that it will be entirely free from projections or moving parts, the metallic terminals, which represent the local circuits above referred to and are marked with the character represented thereby, being allfirmly embedded in insulating material, so that the whole shall form a smooth and unobstructed surface, the desired circuit being closed by oneor other of a pair of metallic pencilsor rods, one for each hand, which are attached to flexible conductors representing the other side of the local circuit and held in the hands of the operator and adapted to be readily moved upon the surface of and so placed upon any part of the board and upon the terminal representing the charactersignal it is desired to cause the mechanical transmitter to send without pressing down any key, or even the necessity for lifting the circuit-closers much, if at all, above the surface of the board, since it is quite possible when using both hands to effect transmission of any signal without lifting the pencils from the board, as will be easily understood from the construction and arrangement of the novel portions of the system above referred to, which will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is .a plan view showing the transmitter-board,

hand-piece, and the exterior of the mechanical transmitter. Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section and partlyin diagram, showingaiorm of mechanical transmitter and the connection between it and the transmitter board.

Similar letters denote like parts throughout. A represents the key-board, which is provided with fixed metalstops-or studs'a', on the upper face of which is engraved, stamped, or otherwise formed a letter, number, or other character. These constitute the terminals of local circuits leading, by way of wires B, to the mechanical transmitter C,thereturn therefrom being by way of conductor D, thence through battery E, conductor 6, and flexible conductor or conductors F, to the end of which is or are secured the metallic pencil or pencils G, only one of whichis shown in the drawings, for convenienc e, and which is provided with insulation 9. The terminals a are to be arranged upon the key-board in any suitable manner. As shown, they are arranged in oval groups; but whatever the arrangement may be the surface of the aforesaid terminals is arranged to be on the same level as the top of the'key-board A, and all of the said terminals are surrounded by or embedded in suitable insulating mate rial, as indicated at H, the WllOLe being so arranged that the terminal or pencil G, when held in the hand of the operator, can be readily moved across the surface of the transmitterboard to or from any of the characters without impediment or hinderance. I contemplate using two of the contact-pencils G, one for each hand, (although only one is shown,) both being secured to the same conductor. In that manner great freedom and rapidity of action can be obtained without the mechanical effort necessarily accompanying the use of keys.

The mechanical transmitter may be of any of the well-known forms in which electrical apparatus to produce the character-signal is set in motion by the closing of a circuit on the depression of a key representing the signal produced by the closing of the aforesaid circuit, the operation and purpose of my invention being to produce the same electrical effects by the closing of one or other .of the local circuits leading to the mechanical transmitter through pencils G and character terminals a, as by the mechanical depression of keys.

One form of device capable of accomplishing the results just referred to is shown in Fig. 2, in which the mechanical transmitter G is shown as a roller actuated by the motor-train M, to which it is connected and disconnected by an electromagnetic clutch, O, in the well-known manner.

Q Q are solenoids, one of the terminals of which is connected with the local battery E, the circuit through each of said solenoids being completed through the conductor F, pencil G, and conductor q, extending through one or other of the letter-stops a to the other terminal of the corresponding one of the solenoids Q, and thence back to the local battery E, as stated, through suitable conductors, It, all connected to a return-circuit, S. The coressof the solenoids Qare normally held down by springs T and exert an influence upon the transmitter C; but whenever one or other of the local circuits is closed through the contact G the core 3 of this particular solenoid is drawn upward into the path of and engages its stop t on the transmitterroller, the subsequent action of which is precisely as though the stop had been engaged by means of a manually-operated key instead of the electro magnetic device described.

The transmitter apparatus shown is the wellknown printing telegraph transmitter pat ented by Van Hoeven burgh, No. 259.610, June 13, 1882; but my invention is applicable to other forms of printing-telegrapl1for instance, that shown in Patent No. 267,366, to G. M. Phelpsand the function of my transmitter, being both as shown and as previously explained, is to substitute electric action for manually-operated keys.

The main line, extending from the mechanical transmitter to the distant station, is represented by the conductor I, the other side of the circuit and battery therefor being shown at J and K.

Various modifications and adaptations will suggest themselves to the practical electrician, and I therefore do not limit myself to the we act construction herein shown and described.

I am aware that movable blocks of conducting and non-conducting material have been assembled in strips to form an alternately con ducting and non-conducting surface, and used in connection with a stylus to make and break an electric circuit and thereby transmit electric signals. This construction being wholly different from mine, I make no claim thereto.

Havingdescribed myinvention,whatIclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An electric transmitter-board consisting, substantially, of metallic studs or blocks carrying indicator-characters and separated by insulating material, the said studs or blocks constituting the terminals of separate electric circuits and the said conducting and non-conducting materials being all permanently united to form a fiat even surface in all directions, as set forth.

2. The combination of an electric transmitter-board consisting, substantially, of metallic studs or blocks carrying indicator-characters and separated by insulating material, the said studs or blocks constituting the terminals of separate electric circuits, the said conducting and non-conducting materials being all permanently united to form a fiat even surface in all directions, and a contact device consisting of one or more metallic pencils suitably connected to the opposite pole of the circuits represented by the metallic studs and arranged to be placed upon one or the other thereofto complete the desired circuit, as set forth.

3. The combination of a mechanical transmitter,suitableline-wiresextendingtherefrom, and local circuits extended thereto, said local circuits representing the different signals adapted to be sent by the mechanical transmitter, a transmitter-board consisting of insulated electric terminals, each one representing a local circuit and carrying the character represented by the circuit extending therefrom to the mechanical transmitter and arranged to constitute, together with the insulation, apermanent substantially even surface, and a contact device consisting of one or more metallic pencils flexibly connected to the opposite pole of the local battery and adapted to be readily placed upon any one of the terminals of the transmitter-board to close the transmitting circuit, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

W. WARRINGTON EVANS.

Witnesses:

E. J. Evans, P. MoALEER. 

